Shock-absorber



C. A. WIBERG. SHOCK ABSORBER. APPLICATION Flu-:D Nov. 11, 1,919.

Patented July 20, 1920.

- l f 'Q ORNEYS CHARLES A. WIBERG, OF DULU'lI-I, MINNESOTA.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1920.

ApplicationV filed November 11, 1919. Serial No. 337,144.

To all whom t mag/concern.' l

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. WIBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shock- Absorbers, of which the following is a speciication. My presentV invention has reference t spring suspension mechanisms, particularly adapted for use on motor vvehicles and which especially relates to that type of spring s uspension or shockabsorbing devicesdisclosed in my Patents No. 1,319,937 and 1,319,938 dated October 28, 1919.

Primarily, my present invention has for its purpose to provide a shock absorbing means, of the generalV character stated,;in which the auxiliary spring, and the connections thatjoin it with the main leaf spring of a motor vehicle, are so arranged and combined with the said main spring and the vehicle axle, whereby a more compact and simplified arrangement of parts, constituting the shock absorbing-means, is produced, and in which the said parts are coperatively soY disposed, with respect to each other, that lthe auxiliary spring devices have an easy and gentle. movement, with respect to the main leaf spring, and the spring surface of the main spring is materiallyiincreased.

Again, my `present invention` icomprebends, in a shock absorbing means of the general character mentioned, an improved arrangement of lever devices that connect with the axle perch and with 'theauxiliary spring, whereby a desired maximum cushioning effect isl obtained and undue depressions. and rebounds are effectively checked,

withA little or none of the objectionable sudden shocks frequently incident in the use of spring suspension absorbing mechanisms now in general use.

With other objects in' view, that will appear in the following description, myl present invention` isa shock absorber that embodies the peculiar features of construction and novel arrangement of parts hereinafter i explained in detail, specifically kpointed out -in the appended claims andillustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isafront elevation of aportion ofk an auto vehicle and illustrates my improvedV shock absorber devices operatively combinedY therewith.

Fig. 2Y is a rear elevation of apart ofthe rear axle, one of the` vehicle wheels and my improved devices in operative connection therewith.

Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal section of the upper end of the lever that is pivotall supported on the axle perch with whicfi the auxiliary spring is slidably connected.

Fig.A 4: is a plan view of the said lever, the upper portion of the auxiliary spring, and the spring guide members that coperate with the said lever.

Fig. 5 is a detail cross section on the line 5 5 on Fig. 3.

In the drawing, I have illustrated but a single spring suspension or shock absorbing mechanism for the front end and one of such devices or mechanisms for the rear end of the vehicle.

ln the practical application of my invention, there is one of said shock absorliiing devices used at each end of the front and the rear axles.

In the practical d velopment of my present invention, l employ a lever arm 1, which arm, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1, sustains the main and the auxiliary spring suspension members, the main spring 7 being of the conventional form and, in practice, attached to and supports the vehicle body in any approved manner.

The lever arm 1 is pivotally mounted, at its outer or lower end, on the perch 15,

which is secured to the axle by the bolt connection 25, as shown.

` The upper end of the perch 15 is angled and extends within the forked lower end of the lever 1, the latter being made fast to the perch by a bolt 2O which passes through the forked end of the lever which includes a crosswise extended radially projected lug 9 that constitutes a brace for the open or forked end of the lever and which also serves as a stop for engaging with the perch so as to limit the upward or rebound movement of the lever. y

The lever 1 is U-shape in cross section so as to give room for free action of the auxiliary or suspension spring, presently again referred to and, at the top, the lever 1 has an elongated opening 21 that provides room for a roller bearing 4 that is rotatably mounted wardly bowed portion 2 whose free end is Vio movement on the main spring 7 by a clip clamp 13 Which passes over the free end of the lever portion 2te which it is riveted or`l otherwise fastened.

the clamp 13 in place on the spring 7.

'ihe spring portion 2 extends outwardly and is looped backupon itself as at 11 over the roller be'aringll and from the loop 171, it is bent'downivardly to provide a bearing portion 30 that engages and is adapted Vfor riding upon the spring member 2.` u

From 'the .portion 31'),- the spring curves upwardly,- as at 3, and has its free end held for slidable engagement with a roller bearv ing 5 that is transversely mounted in the upperY innerend of the lever l, a cross stud G seciiredin the said end of the-lever, below the roller bearing 5, serving to guide the upper end of the spring `membr 3, asV the lever is swung down when the load depression extends the opposite ends of the main spring 7 Aand as the said upper-'end of the lever rises onthe rebound.` s

Theextreme upper end of the spring member 3 is bent to form a hook 3l 'Whose V purpose vis to catch against the cross stud 6, ivhen it has traveled back that far on. the rebound of the spring cevices.

y, From the foregoing taken in connection' vvith the drawing, the complete construction, the manner of its operation and the advann tages of my*present'coiistruction of'shoclr absorber Will be readily apparent to -those familiar with the use of motor vehicles.

VBy shaping the auxiliaryy spring and connecting it with the lever 1 and the main spring?, as shown and before described, the lower .part of the said-auxiliary spring does not move back and forth on they main spring 7 and is held to the desired position at the upper end Within the channel of .the'lever l and in positionfor permitting the necessary movement of the roller l Within its loop portion.

The suspension of the main spring on the lever l, which in turn is pivotally'suspended on the axle perch l5 and the vyieldable connection or suspension of the upper inner end 3 ofthe auxiliarypspring, provides a 'very .simple,y compact and easily assembled arrangement of'paits, that will not readily become disconnected or disabled, as the vehicle passesovei'the minor or the excessive un- Vevenn'ess of the road, the bar or stop 9 serving tollimit the rebound action of the hook end 3l of thememberi Which operates to hold the suspension springs from excessive depressions.

While I have shown but one complete shock absorbing device constructed in accordance With my invention, as before stated, in practice, one of such devices is applied to each endof each Wheel'axle, the

' shock absorbing devices.' 7

lsame-as shown in'Fig. 1, exceptvhen apv Y lbrakedriim casing, as shown in Fig. 2. l2 designates the bolt that fixedly secures l; In a shock absorbing means forroad vehicles-'a fixed support on thevehicle, the main spring, an oscillating lever pivot-ally connected at its lower vend to -a fixed,V supporton the vehicle andY having means at the pivotal endfor limitingits oscillation in one s'direction, a link connection lthat joins the outer end offthe vehicle main Vspring andthe lever, andan auxiliary looped spring, the loop of Whichengages the pivotal connection 'that joins the link and the lever, one endV of the said looped spring having a fixed connection with the main spring andthe otherfend of the said auxiliary spring having a slidable connection With the" outermost endof the pivoted lever, the 'said'y outermost end of the lever and the free end of the spring Ythat engages f 'it' having cooperating meansfto limit the rebound oscillation of the lever. j'- Y v 2.1In shock-absorbing means for `road vehicles, afixed support on the vehicle, the main spring,van oscillating leverpivotally port von the vehicle and-havingineans at the :pivotal end Vlfor?v limiting 'its oscillation in one direction,- a'linlr connection that joins Ythe outerrend ofthe vehicle main spring andthe VYflever,"'and an' auxiliarylooped spring,` the loopwofrrvvhich engages the pivotal [connection fth'atjoins the linkand the fleverj one en 'dof fthelsaid looped Yspring having la fixed connection with vthe Vmainv spring-'andv thev other end'of the saidauxiLV ia'ry spring `having a slidable connection with the outermostend of the pivotedflever,

fthe said outermost endj'fof thelever and the free end of the spring that engagesit having coperating vmeans to limit the. rebound means comprising a stud mounted on the saidouter endY of the lever and a hook por` said stud on the` rebound laction of `the 3. The combination With'gthe vehicle axle iio` v oscillation of the lever, the'said coperating andtheV main jspring that carriesV the vehicle l fbody'gbf a leverjpivotally'vjoinedat one end vto a fixed support on the'axle, a roller bear-V i "ingefin therupper youter end'ofv the lever and na cross Vstud-located below the s aidjroller bearing and ,secured *on the lever end," ra

roller bearing located on the'lever near its .pivotal a linlrconneetionthat"joins the "roller bearing and the .Correspondin'g end ofY the vehicle main spring,ian auxiliary lever Alooped upon itself, whereby to provideiup-k per and` lower auxiliary spring portions, the

lower portion being fixedly attached to the main spring, the loop of the said spring passing over and adapted for engagement with the roller bearing with which the link connection joins, the upper! portion of the said auxiliary spring passing between and having lengthwise slidable movement between the roller bearing and the cross stud on the upper end of the lever.

4c. In a shock absorbing means for vehicles, the combination with the vehicle axle and the main spring 'on which the vehicle body is supported; of a lever pivotally connected at the lower end on a support on the axle to oscillate in the vertical plane, an auxiliary spring bent upon itself to constitute a loop7 a roller bearing around which the loop passes, a link connection pivotally joined at its lower end to the corresponding outer end of the main vehicle spring and pivotally connected at its upper end with the lever and the roller bearing, the said auxiliary springV having its lowermost bent portion extended over and fixedly secured onto the main spring, the upper portion of the said spring being bent down from the Ylooped part to bear upon the lower spring portion and then bent upwardly and outwardly with its outer or free end adapted for engaging the under side of the outer end ofthe lever.

5. In a shock absorbing means for vehicles, the combination with the vehicle axle and the main spring on which the vehicle body is supported; of a lever pivotally connected at the lower end on a support on the axle to oscillate in the vertical plane, an auxiliaryspring bent upon itself to constitute a loop, a roller bearing around which the loop passes, a link connection pivotally joined at its lower end to the corresponding outer end of the main vehicle spring and pivotally connected at its upper end with the lever and the roller bearing, the said auxiliary spring having its lowermost bent portion extended over and ixedly secured onto the main spring, the upper portion of the said spring being bent down from the looped part to bear upon the lower spring portion and then bent upwardly and outwardly with its outer or free end adapted for engaging the under side of the outer end of the lever, and means at the said outer end of the lever cooperating with the corresponding end of the auxiliary spring to limit the rebound or upward oscillation of the lever, and means on the lower end of the lever cooperative with the bearing to which the said end of the lever is pivoted to limit the down or depression oscillation of the lever.

CHARLES A. WIBERG. 

